GRC

Graf Orlock - Doombox

10"/CD Record Packaging

A grindcore band from Los Angeles, CA, Graf Orlock has been known to push the limits of record packaging. We came up with the idea of a transformable record cover that you could fold to create a 1990's era boombox.The challenge was to create a cover that could be easily shipped and sold in record stores. After many mock-ups and die line changes, it finally worked. I am very happy with how it came out and the response to the project has been amazing.

Here's what some other folks had to say about it...

From NPR"Maybe the most elaborate packaging we've seen. Graf Orlock's six-song grindcore EP comes on both 10" vinyl record and compact disc, both of which rest within a fold-out cardboard "boom box""

From Revolver Magazine"...a 10-inch vinyl/double-CD packaging that unfolds into a full-size cardstock boombox. Call it what you want; we're calling it the first contender for Packaging of the Century."

From Terrorizer Magazine"Speaking of overboard, Graf Orlock have always been recognized for their elaborate packaging endeavors, but Doombox pushes the goalposts back even further."

From PopMatters.com"...nothing the band has done in the past has ever compared to the astonishing new Doombox EP, which sees a ten-inch record housed in an elaborate sleeve that folds into a massive, 1:1 scale, 30” x 10” x 10” model of a circa-1990 boombox, complete with a CD tray on top that contains a disc of the EP as well as the entire Destination Time trilogy. To see it pictured online, your eyes pop, but once it’s assembled in front of you, you may find yourself picking your jaw up off the floor."

The Cottage

Branding, Business Card

Hired on to do branding for a recording studio run by Saosin guitarist Beau Burchell. The project went through a few rounds until we landed on this cool amplifier tube logo mark. We are currently in the process of redoing the website and branding in the inside of the studio. Check back soon for a neon sign and wall pattern.

Major League - There's nothing wrong with me

LP & CD packaging

I was excited to get complete creative freedom with this project with the guidance of referencing the Rorschachtest. I used watered-down acrylic paint and some watercolor paper to get the initial inkblots. The song titles and main copy were manipulated on a scanner to get this disjointed, hectic look to reference back to the album title. The theme can be found in every detail, even in the barcode.

Major League Website

Hard R

Clothing and Art Brand

This is an ongoing personal project of mine. I've always had a love for action movies and so I started drawing up designs for shirts and developing a line of illustrations around some of my favorites.

Destination Shirts

Various Samples of Destination Shirts

I was hired by a local company to create a wide range of travel destination shirts. The designs themselves would be used as templates that the customers would pick from depending on their specific needs (i.e. National Park, Beach Resort, Ski Resort, etc.) The challenge here was creating something generic enough it could represent its final product but still visually interesting enough that it would appeal to buyers. Here is a sample of my favorites from a total of 400 designs I created over a couple of weeks.

Graf Orlock - Los Angeles

7" Record Packaging

This was a fun project that I spent late nights in the garage printing. Focusing on guns and movie stars, we set out to create a 7 inch that was more personalized than being "hand numbered". In this case, each record cover was shot with real guns and real bullets to get the bullet-hole look. The record was themed around the epic 1995 Michael Mann crime drama Heat. I first drew three individual targets to act as the cover for the 7 inch. I then created a poster to go inside the record cover that features every main character and some sweet action renderings.

People loved the record and would always mention to us how bad of shot we were. But this is not where the story ends. Sometime after the release of the record, actor Kevin Gage (the actor who played the role of Waingro) contacted me and I had a chance to chat with him about the project. He was an extremely nice guy and was excited to hear of our affection for his work.

The coolest thing about all of this was that I sent him one of the targets with his face on it in exchange for a picture of him holding it (see last image).

DTV

First and Second Edition Book Set

This was a fun project for my friend and author, Andrew Bonazelli. The story is loosely based on the relationship between two washed up action stars (not Seagal and Van Damme, but exactly Seagal and Van Damme). A lot of different elements went into this design, with the cult style-collaged cover and illustrations of main characters.

For the first edition, Andrew and I riffed on some ideas. We landed on this idea that the book would look like a VHS tape and would come housed in the old style clamshell cases (that those of us born early enough would remember). This book came complete with video rental punchcard and a fake receipt.

The second edition featured some extended artwork on the back cover and since this edition was more commercially available, I cleaned it up to make it look "pretty" on the shelf.

True South

Established in 1984, Johnny Rebs’ is a well-known chain of restaurants known for bringing "The South" to Southern California. Wanting a change, they came to me to re-brand their restaurant. I was given freedom to design a whole new look for them, and I am very proud of the results.